Improvement in machines for compacting loose granular sugar into cubes



2 Sheets'-Shee 1.

W. WADSWORTH, dec'd. THIRSY L. WADSWORTH; Executrix. MACHINES FORCOMPACTING LOOSE GRANULAR SUGAR INT 0 CUBES. Patented Sept. 5,1876.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. WADSWORTH, decd. THIRSY L. WADSWORTH. Executrix.

MACHINES FOR OOMPACTING LOOSE GRANULAR SUGAR INTO OUBES.

No.181,883-. Patented Sept. 5,1876.

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this machine.

UNITED STATES 5 PATENT OFFICE.

THIRSY L. WADSWORTH, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, EXEOUTRIX WEDWORTHWADSWOBTH, DECEASED.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR COMPACTING LOOSE GRANULAR SUGAR INTO CUBES.Q

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,883, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed J une 2,1876.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that WEDWORTH WADs- WORTH, deceased, late of Sacramento,California, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Compacting Loose Granular Sugar into Cubes; now, therefore,

I, THIRSY L. WADSWORTH, of Sacramento,

California, executrix of the estateof VED- device for filling the moldswith sugar from the hopper, so that the action of the machine will bepositive; secondly, in the combination of one or more pressing-rollerswith said rotating wheel or cylinder mold, said rollers being so appliedthat they will compress or-condense the loose sugar into the molds and,thirdly, in certain improvements in the method of mounting and operatingthe wheel or cylinder mold, all of which are fully described in thefollowing specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1, Sheet 1, is aperspective view of Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is alongitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a transverse verticalsection.

A is a drum or cylinder, one end of which is closed by ahead or soliddisk, B, while the opposite end is open. The horizontal shaft 0,

which supports this drum, extends outward per ends of which areconnected by the horizont-al cross-pieces G G, one of which passesacross on each side of the upper edge of the wheel. A strong upright, H,passes vertically across the open end of the cylinder, its lower endbeing secured to the base upon which the machine is constructed, whileits upper end is secured to the middle of the cross-piece G. A shortfixed shaft, I, is secured to this upright, so that it will projectinside of the cylinderjust below its rim, and a friction roller, J, isplaced upon this shaft, so as to bear against the under side of the rimas the wheel or cylinder rotates, and receive the downward pressure,which is exerted upon the outer rim of the wheel by thepressure-rollers, to be.

hereinafter described.

As before stated, a piston forms the bottom of each cavity or cell. Eachof these pistons has a rod or spindle, j, which passes through a hole inthe inside shell of the cylinder, and projects radially a short distanceinside of the shell toward its center, thus forming as man y radialspindles as there are pistons or cells. Each spindle hasabutton-shapedhead on its inner end, and a spiral spring, 11, is coiled around thestem between the shell and head, so that the pressure of the spring willforce the spindles inward toward the cylinder, and keep the pistons inthe bottoms of the cells. A roller, M, is mounted inside of themolding-cylinder on a horizontal shaft, which is secured to the uprightbelow the center of the cylinder, so that the roller, when mounted uponthis shaft, will be eccentric to the interior of the cylinder. Thisroller is large enough to depress the spindles of the pistons as theyarepassed under it by the rotation of the cylinder, and thus cause thepistons to force the condensed blocks of sugar from the molds, so thatthey will drop into trays which are carried upon an endless belt, N,below the cylinder.

Above the cylinder, and at one side of a vertical line through itscenter, is mounted a hopper, 0, between the horizontal cross-timbers GG, into which the loose granular sugar is deposited just as it comesfrom the centrifugal machine. The lower side of this hopper fits closelyto the surface of the molds, while the opposite side is provided with asliding gate, P, which can be adjusted so as toprovide any desired sizeof opening for regulating the depth of sugar to be deposited in and uponthe molds. Inside of this hopper, near its bottom, is mounted a seriesof curved plates, Q Q, upon a horizontal shaft, R, which passes throughthe hopper, and is driven by a belt connection with the power thatdrives the machine. These curved plates are placed spirally aroundthe'shaft, and are rotated backward, so thattheir convex sides will bedrawn over the molds or cells as the wheel rotates. These plates, whichare called the feedingplates, keep the sugar in the hopper loose by.their stirring action, and as their convex sides pass over the moldsthey press the sugar into the cells, and insure their being filled, thusrendering the action of the machine positive, and preventing the sugarfrom lodging or packing in the hopper.

On the opposite side of a vertical line drawn through the center of thecylinder are mounted the pressing-rollers S S. Ordinarily a singlepressing-roller will be employed; but two, or even more, can be used.These rollers are made of india-rubber, or other yielding elasticsubstance, and mounted upon a transverse shaft, which bears in thecross-timbers G G. The hearings in which the journals of these shaftsrest are slotted, and a spring, t, which may be made of india-rubber orsteel, is placed back of the journals. A set-screw, u, serves toregulate the pressure of these rollers by compressing the springs t.

It will thus be seen that, as the cylinder is rotated, the molds in itsface or rim will be passed under the hopper, and be filled with theloose granular sugar by the curved pressing and feeding plates. The gate1? will be sufliciently raised to allow a layer of sugar of a giventhickness to lie upon the filled molds and pass out of the hopper. Themolds then pass under the pressing-rollers S S consecutively, so thatthe superposed layer of sugar is pressed into and condensed in the moldsor cells, thus producing a compact body in each mold. The furtherrotation of the cylinder brings the piston-rods, which actuate thepistons in the bottom of the molds, under the roller M, so that thepiston is forced outward,/ and the block or cube of sugar is forced outof the molds, and caused to drop into the trays on the endless belt N.After the piston-rods pass the roller M, (the molds having been relievedof their contents,) the spiral springs 13 again restore the pistons totheir original position in the bottom of the mold. The operation is,therefore, continuous. The cylinder deposits the sugar in the trays onthe endless belt, while the endless belt moves continuously, and carriesthe trays to a point where they can be removed by the workman.

I am aware that molds or cells have been heretofore formed in the faceor rim of a cylinder, and the sugar condensed into them; also, thatpistons have been made to automatically force the pressed cubes orblocks out of the molds, so as to deposit them upon an endless belt; butthe arrangement of the parts in this machine is different from thatheretofore used. The action of the machine is rendered certain andpositive, and a pressing device provided which is greatly superior tothe platens heretofore used. with that class of machines.

Having thus described this invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A circular rotating mold, A, supported as above. described, incombination with the supporting friction-roller J, which is arranged tobear against the inner portion of the cylinder, and receive the downwardpressure, substantially as above specified.

2. The hopper 0, having the spirally-arranged broad plates or blades QQ, mounted upon a transverse shaft, R, inside of it, near its bottom,substantially as and for the purposes described.

3; The hopper 0, having the sliding gate P at one side, and providedwith curved pressing and filling plates Q Q, arranged to be rotated ator near its bottom, in combination with the cylindrical rotating mold A,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

Wedworth Wadsworth, deceased.

Witnesses:

A. J. WETZLAR, F. FRIEDRICH.

